Top 5 ways to use copyrighted music on YouTube

Before we begin, just a few notes about music licenses in general. In order to provide fair compensation for the creators of the song, music licenses tend to be divided based on where and how you reproduce the sound. The most affordable option is when licensing music for an online video, especially when creating content on your own behalf rather than as a service for another brand or company. There will usually be different (sometimes negotiable) costs and terms for coverage that extends beyond the digital.

The licenses from any service in this list allow you to modify (cut, loop) the tracks to fit the needs of the video, however you are not licensed to publish the music under your own name or create works that are solely derivative of the music (like music visualizers, lyric videos and similar content where the music remains the center of attention).

They will also have some kind of whitelisting protocol to keep you safe from content ID claims, DMCA strikes and P.R.O payments. There can be small variations in how each service handles whitelisting, so be sure to double check that this is suitable for your preferred platforms and channels.

One last thing to note is what royalty-free means. Royalty-free is an umbrella term for music that is produced with the express purpose of being licensed for use in other works. Such music and effects are usually purchased once and then used relatively freely. On the other hand, the licensing structure and agreements that govern mainstream music are significantly more complex and usually negotiated on a case-by-case basis.

With the basics out of the way, let's see the top 5 ways to license high quality music:

Most royalty free music isn't created for casual listening, but rather to be used in multimedia content. So how does it work the other way around? How do you license a hit song you love listening to on a Saturday morning? Well, you go to LICKD. They create a fascinating opportunity for content creators by making rights to mainstream music transparent and affordable. There are over 1 million mainstream tunes — plus more than 100k royalty free tracks — that you can use in videos on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, etc. It's packaged as a monthly subscription with a flexible fee when licensing charting songs. As a special offer for Videobolt users, if you subscribe using our link you'll get a 14-day trial and 25% off your first mainstream track. Do yourself a favor and go check it out.

Epidemic Sound offers great flexibility to content creators with a huge catalog of over 125,000 songs and sound effects that can be downloaded in full or in separate audio layers (stems). In addition to single track licenses, they offer subscriptions with unlimited downloads that come in 3 tiers — Personal, Commercial and Enterprise. The first two cover the full spectrum of digital and online content, while the latter is a bespoke agreement for TV and other broadcasts. The size, variety and unlimited access to the catalog make this a great way for creators of all kinds to always have the right music on hand. A free 30-day trial is available, though the trial license is more restrictive. They also have a special Community Program where you get exclusive discounts, rewards and exciting collaboration opportunities by sharing your referral with your friends and audience.

A carefully curated catalog of exclusive music, HookSounds produce all of their tracks with in-house musicians, guided by market research and data analysis. Though the catalog is somewhat smaller than others in this list — approximately 3,500 tracks and 8,700 sound effects — every track is carefully engineered for maximum impact. The licenses offer fair coverage and soon they will be launching a 15-days free trial to try out the service. Any track can be licensed at fixed costs, while subscriptions offer unlimited downloads and above average support — one plan includes custom song requests and a music advisor — which are usually not available outside of enterprise contracts.

Dedicated to great user experience, both in terms of interface and licensing, Artlist is built for the comfort of creators, large and small. Their site is impeccably designed and the catalog offers over 24,000 songs and sound effects that are intricately categorized for a smooth search experience. In addition to songs, they offer courses to help you become a better and more popular creator. Subscriptions come with unlimited downloads and simple license terms — one for digital and another for everything else. There are also team plans and bespoke enterprise solutions, though there is no option for licensing an individual track.

With over 17 years in the business, PremiumBeat is a longstanding powerhouse, host to a catalog of over 20,000 exclusive tracks. Every track is licensed individually with either a standard (digital) or a premium (extended) license. There is also a subscription that includes a pack of standard downloads at a nice discount. License terms are more restrictive than others on this list, though if you find what you need here, you won't find it anywhere else. The search experience is also top-notch, head-to-head with Artlist, with detailed categorization based on genre, mood or technical aspects of the track.

The world of music licensing has become a much more welcoming place in the past decade. All of these services have their unique approaches and try to provide the best deal and highest comfort for their audience. If one of them doesn't suit you just right, try the next one. Between the five services here you're bound to find music for any occasion, including that song that’s been stuck in your head since last week.

All that’s left now is to make some epic videos. While you’re at it, don’t forget to outfit your projects with a branded intro, memorable outro and stylish call to action. And remember, videos produced on Videobolt are issued under a generous commercial license that also covers their unique soundtrack.

Watch this space for more news, roundups and guides. Have a great day and see you soon.